The invention relates to personal care products and particularly to apparatus which holds a quantity of nail polish and which allows the user to selectively apply the polish to a small brush. The apparatus facilitates easy and precise application of the polish to the fingernails of the user.
Fingernail polish is commonly sold in small bottles having a cap and a brush assembly, which is used during application of the polish. Thus, since the brush and cap assemblies are ordinarily held in one hand while the polish is applied to the nails of the other hand, it is necessary for the user to set the bottle down while applying the polish. The bottle must, of course, be set on a surface so that it cannot be easily tipped over. The importance of avoiding tipping is, of course, twofold. First, the loss of the polish is undesirable. Secondly, the damage which may occur to any surface on which the polish is spilled is also undesirable. Not only must a flat, horizontal stable place be found for the bottle, but it is an additional requirement that the place where the bottle sits not be too far from the brush and cap assembly, since the normal procedure for applying polish necessitates repeated cycles of dipping the brush in the bottle and brushing the nail.
The problem with the conventional brush attached to the cap assembly used in conjunction with the bottle is that the polish is automatically deposited all over the brush when the brush is dipped in the liquid polish disposed in the bottle. This is undesirable since at the very least it requires a brush stroke to be taken across the edge of the bottle so as to remove excess polish. Even with this extra step to remove excess polish, optimum conditions for providing a uniform, smooth polish coating to a fingernail are not provided.
Typically the bottles in which the polish is sold are round bottles having a relatively small diameter, resulting in a package which is relatively difficult for a user to hold while applying polish with one hand to the other hand. Accordingly, it is very difficult for a woman to apply nail polish unless she is seated at a table or desk. This has the effect that it is often not possible to apply an original coat of polish or to repair an existing coat of polish. For example, it is difficult to apply fresh polish or repair a polish coating, even though the respective user may have time to accomplish the task.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus which will enable applying polish from a single assembly which will have storage means within it for holding a quantity of polish together with means for depositing that polish on a brush in a manner which will optimize the quality of the coating applied to a nail.
It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus which can be used more spontaneously than conventional nail polish dispensing and applying apparatus.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus which has integral storage for nail polish together with means for applying the nail polish to an integral brush so that the repeated cycle of dipping, removing excess polish, and apply polish is simplified.
Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus which will be compatible with the marketing of modules containing nail polish so that consumers will tend to purchase the prepackaged polish particularly intended for the apparatus in accordance with the present invention. This is significant to the manufacturer because it will provide linkages between the market for the apparatus and the market for the polish. This is significant for the consumer because it will provide a compact and convenient way to carry polish in either a purse or travel kit.